Background:
My outdoor experiences include trips varying in length from one-day
hikes to two-week trips. Most involve my three children.
While my
style isn't as 'high adventure' as some, I do enjoy the time we spend
outdoors. My load used to be HEAVY - think pack
mule. Reducing my pack weight may be the
easiest way
to lose weight. I have been challenged to hike a section of
the
Appalachian Trail this summer, and need to get both my pack and myself
in better shape.
While outdoors, I spend time hiking, geocaching, snowshoeing,
cross-country skiing and camping.

*note regarding my
measurements: All
measurements were taken with products packed into their stuff sacks as
tightly as possible.

FEATURES: (from website)
* Joint System: allows 2 or more pads to
be joined without allowing any gaps.
* Tube Construction: eliminates the side seams commonly found on other
sleeping systems, which consequently reduces the overall
weight of
the sleeping pad.
* Repair kit included

Product Description:
The
MontBell U.L. Comfort System consists of a long pad, short extension
pad, and an inflatable pillow. The pieces are held in place by
MontBell's Quick Connect Joint System that allows the user to hook 2 or
more pieces together. This flexibility will allow me to leave
the
extension at home when I am using my hammock, or want to conserve space
in my pack. The pieces connect to each other using sets of
plastic toggles and preformed holes. Each of these are placed
at
opposite sides (diagonally). The
pad
self inflates by opening the valve, and and can be 'topped off' by
blowing a couple of breathes into it. The pillow must be
inflated by blowing it up.

The
pillow arrived rolled up inside of a very small stuff sack.
Once removed and unrolled, I was able to inflate it fairly quickly with
no more than ten breaths. At first, I inflated it
completely, but
found when I put my head on it, it seemed too hard. I let out
a
little air by slightly opening the valve and found the pillow to be
much more comfortable.

I am hoping that by being able to attach
the pillow to the pad, it will not slide around during the night.
I am not one to sleep in one spot all night, and usually lose
my
pillow at some point. The fabric feels slippery, but I do
wonder if it will cause my face and/or neck, where it is in contact
with my skin, to perspire while I sleep.

The pillow should not be
used as a seat, according to MontBell's web page. The
inflated
pillow is what I pictured from the web page information. I
was
very surprised at the small stuffed size of the pillow.

The
pad extender allows the user to increase the length of the pad, while
only increasing the carry weight by a few ounces.

The
extender easily attached to the sleeping pad. I did try lying
on
it to see what happened if I moved around, as I do in my sleep, or when
I am trying to get comfortable. I found that the pads stayed
together, with out sliding around or becoming unhooked.

The
extender pad has three seams that run the width of the pad, allowing it
to be folded easily. It is held together with a 1" (2.5 cm)
wide
elastric strap.

I
plan on using the extender pad on most occasions, except maybe when I
am using the hammock. I will have to see how all the pieces
fit
together.

The
sleeping pad is the UL Comfort System Pad 150. It is
considered a
self-inflating pad, that also allows for inflating by breathing into
the plastic filler valve. Once
removed from the packaging I opened the air valve, unrolled
it and set it aside for about 15 minutes. The pad was slow to
inflate,
even though it is advertised as self-inflating. I was surprised that
when pinched, the pad felt like it contained a filling like a dense
foam. I could not imagine how it would inflate.
After 15
minutes, I
gave the pad a few breaths and it immediately inflated. It did seem to
inflate in sections. There appear to be three sections running the
length of the pad. Once inflated, it no longer had that dense
foam feel, and was more rigid, but flexible.

The pad is different than most
sleeping pads, as it has no side seams,
lightening
the pad. It is instead designed using a tube construction
method.
There are connectors on each corner of the pad, and a narrow strap at
one end that allows the use of the stuff sack as a pillow.
The
idea is to stuff clothes in the sack, and strap it down to keep it in
place.

Pad photo from: http://www.montbell.us

The
fabric is smooth to the touch. I did notice that it felt
cool also, while having sat in a 65 F (18 C) house for a few days.
It
makes me wonder if it will become cold to the touch while sleeping in
cold temperatures, and then allow the sleeping bag to become colder
where it is pressed against the pad.

Loosening the plastic twist
valve allows air to escape as the pad is rolled back up. Once
rolled,
it slides easily into its stuff sack.

Included
in the packaging, were two patch kits for the pads, in case of leaks.
I am hoping that I don't have to try them out - but am glad
they
were supplied, just in case.

While lightweight, the pads do not
seem 'flimsy' or highly fragile. I am most concerned about the pillow,
and will try to make sure that I pack it carefully, and away from
anything sharp.

The
MontBell Sleep Comfort System arrived with no obvious flaws and so far
all pieces hold air for at least 3 hours. The real test will be when I
am sleeping on it for a whole night. I usually sleep better
when
outdoors, and find that if I don't, I have a hard time the next day
being motivated, or having the energy I need. Over the course of the
next four months, I will be watching for leaks or other structural
issues. Beyond that, I am curious to see how well the pieces
work together, what type of comfort they
provide while I am
sleeping, and if they noticably change how warm I stay at night.
The pads will be used in different combinations with my
MontBell
Down Hugger #1 sleeping bag. I am curious as to how they will
work in my hammock also. I'd like to be able to use the
hammock
earlier in the season, and would like to see what type of warmth the
pads may add. Our night time
temperatures are still in the 10-20 F (-6 to - 12 C)
range, and lately it has been windy (a sign that spring is coming,
slowly...). I should have plenty of opportunities to test
the sleep system in cold temperatures.

My thanks to MontBell and
BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test the UL Comfort System.
Please stop back in two months (mid April) for my
Field Report.

Field ReportMay 14, 2009

Over
the last two months, I have used the MontBell Sleep System on 8
nights. It has performed above and beyond what I expected. Read on for a breakdown of the
conditions they were used under.

Weekend
#1 - Used in western
Maine, two nights. Overnight temperatures hit a low of 12 F (-11
C).
I slept extremely well, and stayed warm all night. The
Extender pad and Sleeping pad were attached to each other, and
stayed together all night, without the pads shifting around under
me. I never found myself off of the pads, which would have been
very uncomforatble, considering we set up the tent on cold, packed
snow. The pillow is attachable to either the pad or extender,
but I prefer to leave it loose. The pads kept the cold ground
from making me cold and also provided a great cushion to sleep on.

Midweek
Trip - I spent three nights over our
April vacation snowshoeing and camping out in New Hampshire. The
three nights were spent in different spots, within the White Mountain
National Forest. The night temperatures hit a low of 17 F (-8 C)
on
all three nights.
The last night was very windy, and I found that it really made
me thankful for the pads and pillow. The first two nights were
fairly
calm, and although cold, were comfortable. The last night was not
only
windy, but loud. The tree branches were creaking, and I could
hear
them snapping in the distance. Our tents were in an area safe
from
falling branches, but the noise made it hard to sleep. I was warm
enough and spent most of the night reading. I was glad it was
just a
short hike out to the cars at daylight. One of the things I
noticed on this trip, was that since the tent was shorter, the
extender made the sleep system too long, so I decided to
improvise, and put the extender under the area of my hips, and above.
Oh, what a great idea that was! My hips tend to bother me
occasionally after hiking, and then sleeping on hard ground. With
the double padding, it was so very comfortable. Since it wasn't
my tent, I didn't know that it was so much shorter and wouldn't hold
me, my partner and our gear. I may not have brought the extender
along had I known, but now would do it again, since the little bit of
extra weight was well worth it.

Weekend
#2 - On a trip to central Vermont, I joined quite a few family members
at an aunt's big, old house. The house used to be a hunting
lodge, and
so it sits on the edge of the woods. A cousin wanted to try winter
camping but in a safe place. We headed out and hiked about
30 minutes into the
woods, and up the side of the mountain, and set up the tent. Even
though it was only about 6:30, we decided to stay there and play cards
and talk. I ended up sitting on the extender pad, while playing
cards, and then attached it to the regular pad before going to sleep.
The Sleep pad worked very well once again, shielding me from the
cold ground, and allowing for a good nights sleep. The top of the
sleep pad was comfortable to the touch, which was amazing since the
bottom was very cold, just like the tent floor.

Weekend
#3 - Spent the weekend along the Maine coast, hiking with a new MeetUp
group. It was a blast - everyone hit it off very quickly.
The
temperatures were in the high twenties (-6 C)both nights, with
moderate
wind. It is always cooler along the coast, and usually much
damper even
when the humidity level isn't very high. I can report that
the pads and pillow didn't 'feel' any different to the touch.
After
hiking 8 miles (13 k) along a somewhat rocky trail, enjoying great
views
and once again, gabbing with new hiking partners, I was really tired.
After a great meal that we all contributed to (ever have a buffet
while backpacking?) I was ready to sleep. I inflated the pillow
in 4 or 5 breathes, 5 or 6 for the pad and I was ready to climb
into my bag. I found out the next day, that a few of the
guys
stayed up for 2 more hours chatting and laughing, and I never heard a
thing! I never even knew my tent mate came to bed, although he
said I
said 'good-night' to him. I woke up in the morning, and found
that
even though there was some condensation build up inside the tent, the
pads were dry to the touch. The second night, everyone
crashed early, after a day spent hiking and taking pictures and
admiring some wonderful scenery. The wind had picked up a little,
and
although cooler, the air and ground felt drier. Again, no trouble
sleeping, and I was warm enough, without any overheating
on my part. The pads and pillow do a great job together keeping
me comfortable whiles sleeping. I've tried using the extender at
the top and bottom of the Sleep pad, and find no real difference.
The pillow itself is easy to inflate and releases all the air when it
is time to pack it back up. It is amazingly small when packed,
and easy to stow away. There are no signs of leaks or defects.
I was a bit surprised that it was just as inflated in the
morning, as it was when I went to sleep. I did notice that if I
sit on the pad, it compresses to the point of almost having no cushion
in that spot, but when I lay down, my body weight is distributed enough
that it isn't an issue.

The 150 Pad Extender is a great part of
this sleep system. It allows my whole body to fit on a mat, takes
up minimal space in my pack, is extremely lightweight, and adds a lot
of comfort. It shows no signs of wear or defect. An added
plus is that it can double as a warm seat when stopping for a break.

Long Term Report:
July 16, 2009

Unfortunately, I haven't had much opportunity to use the Sleep System
much in the last two months. We've had an unbelievable number of
rainy days since late May. I was able to use it for 3 nights over Memorial Day weekend,
while hiking and camping in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The
temperatures were in the mid 40s F (4 C) at night, and the low 60s F (16 C)
during the day. I believe those were the last three days without rain
we've had in a row.

I've used the pillow quite a bit. It packs so small and
inflates so easily, it just makes sense to pack it. It makes
sleeping so much easier and more comfortable. The pillow
still holds air without deflating during the night. When its warm
out, I put a t-shirt over the pillow so I don't perspire where the
pillow and my skin make contact.

The sleeping pad, and extender haven't seen any more use as I don't
use a pad in the hammock. I was impressed with them when I used
them. They provided extra insulation in cold weather and added
to my comfort overall. The pad and extender work well together
or separately, depending on how much length you need, and how much
space you have. The pads pack fairly small and I feel are well
worth the space that they take in my pack.

The pads are well constructed and show no real signs of wear. The
pad and pillow hold air all night long without needing to be refilled
at all during the night. I'm
looking forward to using them again this coming fall and winter.

Thanks to MontBell and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test the MontBell Sleep System.

Product tested and reviewed in each Formal Test Report has been provided free of charge by the manufacturer to BackpackGearTest.org. Upon completion of the Test Series the writer is permitted to keep the product. Owner Reviews are based on product owned by the reviewer personally unless otherwise noted.